Karen Lynne – Heart Songs and Laugh Lines

Australian native Karen Lynne has established quite a loyal following across the sea, and Heart Songs & Laugh Lines was released with the hope that it would spread her name around the U.S. a little bit more. If there’s any justice, it should do just that.

Lynne possesses a very expressive singing voice, one that is quite pleasing to the ear. Several of the cuts here are songs you know, such as George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart.” While the song has been played and played over the years, Lynne adds a little something different to the tune, bringing a bit of female perspective.

Other classics that get a fine remake treatment are Carlene Carter’s highly underrated 1993 gem “Unbreakable Heart,” on which Lynne takes an old-school approach. She also stays in the classic sounding mindset with “Every Time You Leave,” which features the brilliant Randy Kohrs.

Lynne also tips the hat to Vince Gill (“Jenny Dreamed Of Trains”) and Lee Ann Womack (“Why They Call It Falling”), adding her own touch to those songs, while delivering a knock-out version of Clint Black’s “Something That We Do,” which is a little more folk-ish than the original.

Give Lynne a huge amount of credit – for guts if nothing else. Some of these songs are still recent enough that you hear them on radio quite a bit of the time, but she not only pulls them off, she is able to cover them each in a way that adds something a little bit different to each, and that’s saying a lot!